Dragon Soul
by Mewgia Mirrorcoat
Summary: To touch a dragon was to let it bewitch you. To befriend a dragon was treason. Yet Hiccup, training to become a dragoon of Ishgard, does so at the risk of persecution for heresy. He and Toothless will try to find their own peace. In this time of strife, as the Garlean Empire marches, Dalamud falls, and the Mother Crystal speaks, they will try. The Sixth Astral Era is ending.
1. The Song

Disclaimer: I do not own the How to Train Your Dragon movie franchise, or the Final Fantasy franchise. These are owned by Dreamworks and Square Enix, respectively.

A/N: I couldn't resist. I'm an active FFXIV player, and I love How to Train Your Dragon. I had an image in my mind of Hiccup as a dragoon riding Toothless. Then Heavensward was announced. I was inspired. It was too tempting.

Note, because I need to know the Ishgardian lore much better in order to properly write this story, I will not update once it reaches the point where I need a very thorough understanding of it. In other words, not until about a month or so after Heavensward is released. I'll state when this is. Until then... enjoy the interesting crossover?

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><p><span><strong>Dragon Soul<strong>

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><p><span>The Song<br>

There was a song.

The voice was distant, a phantom of a single melody. Yet it echoed through everything, permeating his ears, his mind, his very blood. He could have chased it and never let go, it felt so kind, yet sad.

_To all of my children in whom life flows abundant…_

The sky rumbled. He could still hear the song, but something thundered around him now. It shrieked and sped past, the roar of something that filled all his senses.

It took him a moment to see the light flash from above. He looked up towards it.

The sky was falling through the thundering eye of a storm.

Stars, meteors, whatever they were; they burned and rained from the bright heaven's abyss, alighting the center and casting shadows through clouds. Everything circled together in one great movement. Here was the center of everything.

He watched in awe from the very middle of it all. The wind, the cold, the blaze of the falling stars, what he should have felt never touched him. Instead came the deafening roar that engulfed his entire being and shook his bones. The storm's eye floated above him, leaving him caught in its focus. It surrounded him. It was part of him.

His gaze stared up into the eye. It was blinding, turning his sight to white…

And it faded the world back into a dark, odd quiescence.

**Hear… **

A woman's voice, strong and nurturing. The same as the one singing. He glanced around, trying to find the source, but it sounded from everywhere.

**Feel…**

Soft sparkles of reflections and starlight gave sight. Something was bright in the distance, shimmering with gentle light.

**Think…**

He reached out. He could almost grasp what it was, who this voice was, and why it touched so deeply to his soul –

"GET UP!"

Hiccup jolted awake. His blurred vision in the candlelight had to adjust, but sharpened immediately as he recognized the face of his very irritated father.

"Dad!" he yelped. "Wha – what're you – what'd I do!"

"You wouldn't wake up, even with all my shoutin' and shakin'!" Stoick roared. "That dead to the world, eh? Get up, son, the dragons are raiding!"

It was at that moment that Hiccup realized he could hear the alarm bells all over the village, the rush of flames, and the avian screech of the Dravanians. Stoick was also halfway in the process of pulling on his armor.

He breathed. "Oh."

Then it hit him and he tumbled out of the bed.

"Where are they attacking at?" he pulled himself to his feet, running to his armor stand. He quickly ran his hands over the pieces, then grabbed at the scalemail.

Stoick grunted, apparently glad that his son had finally awoken. "Food supply and the armory. A squad of dragoons are already there." He snapped on a gauntlet, then spun back. "You're not joining them."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I know that Dad!" he exclaimed. "The lancers already went over this!"

"No front lines for you! Yeh only just finished your main training!"

"I _know!_"

"Good!" Stoick yelled, fixing his other gauntlet. "You're with the others in your class on supply lines."

"With a burning armory?"

"At the smithy!"

"Works for me!"

"Here's your spear," Stoick threw it to Hiccup. He caught it with practiced ease and set it to the side as he continued to pull on armor pieces. "Get to 'em. I need to lead the defense."

Hiccup turned to his father. A knowing look passed between them.

"May Halone guide your axe," he spoke. "Be safe, Dad."

"And may she watch over you," Stoick replied, nodding. "Stay safe, son."

He grabbed his helmet, and with a spin of his cloak, was gone.

Hiccup grimaced and finished buckling himself into the scalemail. It was his first raid as a full-fledged lancer. Even if he was designated to resupply, he and the others in his class were expected to fight if necessary.

If not for the fact that he had witnessed several maimings and near deaths via dragon, and was himself a somewhat weak and lackluster lancer, he would have been far more excited about the prospects of killing a Dravanian.

If his mother hadn't been carried off by one when he was an infant, he would have had less reason for wanting to do so.

With a growl, Hiccup snapped on the protective visor. Whatever happened this early morning would happen. They would survive the raid. He might even get the chance to test out the variation on a bola launcher he had hidden in the smithy.

He grabbed his spear. He let his gaze linger around his room, at the sketches, mechanisms, small projects he had been working on. Just in case.

Then he took a deep breath and rushed out to join the fray.


	2. This was Berk

A/N: 10 points if you can spot all the references to the movies and to ingame tactics! Also, there is an extremely, extremely good reason for someone's knowledge of Draconian.

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><p><span>This was Berk<span>

This was Berk.

It was a remote village located on the coast of the Bloodbrine Sea, far north of the uppity Ishgardians from the Holy See. In other words, very cold and miserable, but in practice, surprisingly strong and self-sufficient. The farming was somewhat decent, and together with the excellent fishery, the food was plentiful and people rarely went hungry. The village had been there for seven generations.

However, all the buildings were new. Snowstorms and regular attacks by the Dravanian Horde had a tendency to destroy the architecture, after all.

Most people would have left and founded a village in a safer region. But the Berkians? They were stubborn and resilient. Sturdy would be another word. They were the descendants of Highlander heroes who had aided Ishgard some few hundred years earlier, and they couldn't be prouder.

They also happened to have an export that was of particular importance to Ishgard. It meant they received support from the High Houses and were held in high regard. It was part of their tradition and culture. To speak of Berk was to speak of them.

Their dragoons.

Dragoons, mighty dragon slayers, symbolic of Ishgard. Haldrath, the first Azure Dragoon, had made the founding of Ishgard possible a thousand years earlier. With his mighty spear, he tore out the eye of the Dragon King Nidhogg. Thus began the Holy War against Dravania. The dragoons were the first line of defense against its horde.

As a village on the front lines of the fight against the Dravanians, Berk had an unprecedented amount of opportunities to practice fighting dragons. Its people had developed many methods of attack and had collected a large amount of knowledge on their enemies. Their reputation for raising strong dragoons brought in outsiders and even members of the Houses, all making residence in the village specifically for the purpose of training. Berk's dragoons were, to say the least, renowned in all of Ishgard.

Hiccup wanted to be one.

"What are yeh doin' out here?" one man shouted as he ran by. A marauder by the looks of it. "Get back inside!"

"Qualified lancer!" he shouted back.

"Wha – pullin' my leg, are yeh?" he glared.

Hiccup groaned. "No, seriously! I passed!"

_Barely,_he mentally added. _But I did._

The marauder stared for a moment. Then his jaw set evenly.

"If you get killed, not my problem," he waved a hand. "Get to yer station then."

_Get to your station. He acknowledges it! _

Hiccup saluted. "Ser!"

He rushed off in the other direction of the marauder, an odd giddy feeling in his heart even as a burst of flame exploded overhead.

_He acknowledged me! See, I can totally do this! This is what grinding through lancer training gets you! I can do it if I stick with it, I can become a dragoon – _

Something boomed from the side. Hiccup yelped and darted away just as the house to his side collapsed. He heard an avian shriek accompanied by the battle cries of several fighters.

"And that's my cue to get to the smithy," he said dryly as he sprinted off.

The marauder was the only one who told him to go back inside. Other fighters passed, all recognizing him, but the spear on his back and the lancer visor over his face was apparently enough to convince them that he belonged on the battlefield that night. Either that, or Stoick had been exceedingly loud that evening about how his son had finished and passed lancer training to become a full-fledged fighter. Hiccup grinned to himself as he wove down familiar paths.

Still just a lad of fifteen years, but stubborn and with a will, he had said. He's one of us, he had said.

All that hard work had paid off. Now he could make his mark.

Probably. If he didn't get maimed or killed in the process. He had to stay realistic, after all.

Something soared above, accompanied by the whistle of wingtips slicing the air. Hiccup looked up, recognizing the sound, and immediately ducked towards the nearest wall, covering his head, knowing exactly what it was.

"Night Fury! Get down!"

A concentrated bolt flashed and exploded. A group of fighters screamed. Hiccup felt dust and hot wind brush over him, and his heart pounded as fire lit up the near watchtower. He heard something roaring in the distance, people shouting over by the tower, and the shrieks of Dravanians in the sky as they continued their onslaught.

He steeled himself and rushed back out of the cover of the wall and towards the smithy.

_Like that,_ a voice inside him smirked. _A Night Fury. The ungodly offspring of lightning and death. Never before seen. That'd be a way to make my mark._

The rest of way to the smithy was blessedly empty. Loud, thanks to the battle cries of Hyur, Elezen, and dragon all across the village and the echoing explosions that came with it, but Hiccup ran into no more particular danger or hurrying knight along the way.

He rounded the final corner, nearly slipping on the wet stone path, to see the smithy already warm and lit. Several shadows ran about, and Hiccup could recognize each one, though the largest one, was of first notice. Helmeted, with one missing hand replaced by an axe – Gobber. Smith, owner of the smithy, and head of the dragoon trainee program.

"Hiccup! Git over here, yeh talkin' fishbone!"

Also, a close family friend and Hiccup's smithing mentor for several years.

Hiccup cringed as he dove into the smithy. Gobber had been calling him that ever since his loud self-demeaning rant a moon earlier. Of course, it had also inspired a specific training regimen that had paid off just the day before…

Speaking of which, all of his classmates who had also passed the final lancer exam stood in the smithy with him.

Snotlout snorted under his breath. "'Talking fishbone'… ha, maybe you'll make a good dragon toothpick."

Hiccup rolled his eyes at his cousin. The athletic boy was also wearing scalemail, but had chosen a more traditional horned helmet rather than a lancer visor. "The best. I could even keep it entertained while cleaning its teeth. Jokes and puns by the second," he answered dryly.

"Still can't believe you passed," Tuffnut crossed his arms. He was in leather armor and wielded the double-ended spear with incredible poise. "Like, how'd you even do it?"

"Yeah, Useless couldn't even pick up a spear head last year!" his twin sister Ruffnut added with a sneer. She matched her brother in both gear and smirk.

Hiccup frowned. "Maybe I worked really hard?"

"Lay off him you three, we've got more important things, newbies," Gobber snapped. The trainees instantly snapped to attention, lined up with their spears in hand.

Hiccup found himself next to Fishlegs, who smiled encouragingly despite clear nervousness at their first real battle. The boy was the largest of the group, though with such a jovial disposition and love of studying their enemies that Hiccup had often wondered how he was going to survive as a lancer. Which left the last member of the class…

Astrid.

He barely caught the sight of her blond braid swinging as she stood confident, face determined and head held high. She seemed so prepared and ready for the fight in chainmail and a visor, years of lancer training paying off tonight, and he could just imagine her moving in combat with the spear, fierce as the firelight illuminated her beautiful form, and –

Ahem. He needed to stop.

_First battle though, right? Maybe killing a dragon tonight will get her to notice me…_

"All right, all o' yeh! Today's yeh're first battle as full fledged lancers!" Gobber announced. He eyed each of the carefully. "But you ain't tested in battle yet. We're not so bad that we're throwin' yeh straight into the fray. Be madness! And a bit cruel," he added with a slight chuckle. "Now, as excited as all o' yeh must be 'bout goin' in and fightin' the Dravanians… that's not your job. Your job, my friends, is to keep a steady supply line goin' through from here to the main fightin' at the armory and food storages, and to support wherever needed. _Not_ to dive in an' help the dragoons. Hear that? No front lines. No engagin' the enemy! Any questions?"

"Yeah," Fishlegs raised his hand. "Um, what if a dragon attacks us first? Do we still engage?"

Gobber sighed. "You're lancers. Fight if you have to. Finish off a wounded dragon. Keep the civilians and children safe. Do what yeh need to do. That clear?"

"Yes Gobber!"

"Good. And remember!" he added on, "If a dragon comes after you and you know it's out of your league, what do yeh do?"

"Bring it to a marauder!" everyone chorused together.

"Correct! Now come over here and get your linkpearls. You lot'll need 'em."

All six of them rushed forward to grab one from Gobber, who held them out in a basket with his one good hand. Hiccup managed to squeeze in between Tuffnut and Snotlout to fish one out, feeling giddy all the while. He had never used one of these outside of survival and field training practices. It felt momentous.

He fit the small bauble into his ear, just in time to hear Snotlout touch his and shout.

"SNOTLOUT!"

He jumped and held his ear. It was as though his cousin had just yelled from right next to him. Which he had, but from the other side. It rung through his head regardless.

"Gah!" Astrid yelped. She glared at Snotlout, who only shrugged and grinned at her. "Why do you need to do that every time we get these?"

"'Cuz I'm awesome, obviously," he pumped a fist into the air.

Ruffnut rolled her eyes. "Kill our ears, why don'tcha…"

"All right!" Gobber shouted. Everyone snapped back to attention. "Got your gear? Your linkpearls? Your spears? Good! You three, armory line, you three, food storage line, get goin'!"

Everything became a blur of activity as Hiccup dove into his duties, following Ruffnut and Tuffnut. He grabbed whatever he was directed towards and ran with whatever he could carry, barely aware of Gobber's shouts as everyone rushed about for any last minute preparations. Then his feet were moving and everyone had split into two groups, making their way through the dark streets.

This part, he was used to.

However, he quickly learned that running through the village during a dragon attack alongside the twins was far different from doing so by himself.

"What's in these things?" Tuffnut exclaimed as the trio ducked by a wall. Something off to the side exploded and showered gravel all over them. "You think rocks? Crystals for the cannons? Ooh, Bertha cannons!"

"I wanna' set off a Big Bertha!" Ruffnut crowed. "Freeze 'em dragons!"

Hiccup looked at both of them warily. Their penchant for destruction made them oddly tolerable of some of his own mishaps.

"What else do you think everyone at the armory needs?" he shouted, hefting the pack further up his back. It made his spear nearly bang into his head. "I'm pretty sure these are potions and arrows!"

"Bah! Boring!" both twins scoffed.

"We're seeing the Dravanians up close!" Ruffnut grinned, cackling.

Her brother let out a whoop. "Gonna' see the dragoons in action! I'm taking point!"

"No me!" Ruffnut swatted her brother.

"Me!"

Hiccup could guess what that left him with. "I'll take rear checkpoint," he sighed in resignation.

Both siblings looked at him with expectant, sneering grins.

"Good," Tuffnut snorted. "Useless won't get in the way of the dragoons."

"That was one time."

"She almost lost her _arm_."

Hiccup cringed and decided not to reply. He didn't need to be reminded of that. Thank the gods for conjurers and healing magic.

He listened to the twins bickering all the way down to the end of the supply line, where several lancers stood in wait. All of them dropped off their loads, saluted, and turned on their heels to take what would be their positions for the rest of the night.

Tuffnut had apparently won the fight, so he stopped at the first point, waving cheerfully as the other two continued on. Then Ruffnut stopped at the next point, snorting contemptuously and muttering to herself as Hiccup made the last third of the journey to back to the smithy himself.

Gobber was still there, having already piled a new set of supplies to bring back. "Ah, first one back, eh?" he chuckled as Hiccup stumbled back in, panting heavily. "There's yer next set. Careful, got bombs and carbonite in there. Don't tell the twins. And don't drop the thing!"

Hiccup took a few moments to catch his breath before lugging the next set onto his back. "Yeah yeah, sure, I won't," he gasped. "Blowing myself up isn't really on my to do list tonight."

"Mighty bad luck if yeh did, just havin' passed to full lancer," Gobber shook his fake hand at him. Hiccup noted that it was the mechanical one, with its functional grip and partial internal clockwork. "I'd like to see you at dragoon training, yeh know?"

"Yeah," he replied, turning with his load. "Me too – Astrid, hey - "

She had just entered the smithy, barely winded and fierce as ever in the firelight.

"Dravanians diverting towards the mills," she reported, pointing. "Snotlout says his dad needs another marauder."

Gobber rolled his eyes. "And why didn't Snotlout shout this over linkpearl? Fine fine, I'll be there," he waved at her. He reached for his wall of arms, clearly looking for wherever he'd thrown the axe attachment.

Astrid nodded and leaned down to heft a bag of supplies over her shoulder. She glanced at Hiccup and gave him an even look, then ran back out the smithy.

Hiccup beat down whatever his heart was doing in his chest and turned his attention back towards Gobber. _Axe hand, axe hand… there._

"On the anvil, Gobber," he called.

"Aha! Now what's it doin' over there?"

Hiccup chuckled, then left the smithy to bring the supplies to Ruffnut.

His next trip back, Gobber was gone. He picked up the next bag and continued on.

The trip after that, Gobber was still gone, and he passed by Astrid on the path in. Ruffnut told him she'd seen dragoons bring down a Dravanian.

The next trip, Tuffnut reported over linkpearl that he got to set off a Big Bertha when the lancers needed backup. Snotlout countered him and said some very colorful things that everyone in the linkshell heard. Ruffnut was moping about it when Hiccup passed the supplies to her. This was when Hiccup got his brilliant idea.

The final trip, he decided to put said brilliant idea into action.

"Took you long enough, slowpoke!" Ruffnut barked as he approached. "You're getting tired already, huh – whoa, what is that?"

Hiccup grinned as he wheeled the contraption up to her. The supplies were piled on top of it.

"Ruffnut, wanna' trade places?" he asked.

She gaped at it.

"Does it explode things?" she asked, her jaw still dropped.

"Not exactly," Hiccup replied smugly, patting it on the side. "Imagine a regular bola launcher. Add extra velocity to the launch and an aetheric manipulator to emulate the effects of - "

"Smaller words!" Ruffnut shot in. She looked annoyed, but even Hiccup could tell she was interested in this device.

He brought up one hand. "Extra strong bola launcher." He brought up the other hand. "Mini Bertha." He brought them together. "Freezing killing machine of _doom_."

Ruffnut stared for a moment. Then her eyes turned bright with pure ecstasy.

"I want one," she stated.

Hiccup laughed. This was possibly the only reason why he tolerated the twins and they tolerated him – they always approved of his attempts at war machines. Even the utter failures, as long as something blown up in the process.

"Gotta test it out first," he winked. Ruffnut cackled.

"Get going, Useful," she jerked her thumb down the path with a solid grin.

Hiccup ran into no other interruptions as he pushed his Bola Bertha down the path to the armory. The fighting was more intense now than it had been during the first run, and several buildings were on fire. Dragons were swooping across the area, occasionally bringing a fighter with them; more than once, the silhouette of a dragoon jumped high into the air to spear one.

_I'm gonna' be one of those. I'll be a Berkian dragoon. I'm signed up for the training. It's gonna' happen!_

He rushed past the checkpoint where Tuffnut was supposed to be designated. The teen was nowhere to be seen.

_That can't be good… I guess he's still at that Bertha cannon…_

Something was roaring to the side. Hiccup's gaze flashed to the dragon in question as it scaled up a watchtower, and several archers and a marauder were already onto it. "Monstrous Nightmare," he muttered as he pushed his Bola Bertha further. "They really are all out tonight… just need that Night Fury…"

He could see the supply dropoff now. No one was manning it. It was clear that everyone was fighting at this point, regardless of their initial positions.

This meant that no one could fault him for joining in.

_Perfect._

He stopped briefly to dump the supplies off, then wheeled the Bola Bertha towards the armory. He could hear them now, commands being given, battle cries of both man and dragon, and the explosions of dragon fire and Bertha cannons. He just needed a clear space and a good shot at where that Night Fury might fire at…

He counted himself lucky that most of the fighters were surrounding the armory. He found a spot up on the hill just adjacent, empty save for several felled arrows and what was apparently the collapsed remains of a workshed. Just enough privacy, and now he just needed to aim it.

With a grunt, he heaved the protective canvas off and checked the crystals on the side. _Aether nodes and manipulator look good,_ he thought to himself. _First bola's already loaded. Let's do this thing._

He was determined.

He switched the safety lever off, then situated himself behind the cannon.

The fighting was fierce. Hiccup could see through the cannon's scope just how much, with marauders and lancers everywhere, archers darting in between them and conjurers busy casting their healing spells to keep everyone alive. Every now and then a burst of flame or ice would appear that came from no dragon; the thaumaturges had to be hiding somewhere nearby.

There was a brush of anxiety within him as he thought about the different combat classes and designations he could have chosen. Berk was known for its lancers and dragoons, but it had its own small schools for archers and mages. He knew the basics from every single one, as all people growing up in Berk did – Cure spells were quite possibly among the most useful things he had ever learned in his life – but for overall aptitude, he had been horrible at every one…

_I'm a lancer now. It worked out. I had to work really hard, but I did it, and here I am…_

Dravanians were swooping around now, their screaming shrieks painful even from this distance. The dragoons were already there, jumping high into the air with their spears aloft, shouting for the glory of Ishgard.

Hiccup scanned the sky, making a note to make certain not to hit any of the fighters.

"Come on come on come on, give me something to shoot…"

There were plenty of things to shoot of course, but he had his mind on one particular dragon. He was going to do it. Make his mark tonight. He was a lancer, but he could do more too…

A whistling sound pierced the air.

_There it is._

"Night Fury! Get Down!" someone shouted from beyond.

_The armory tower!_

The dragons had been circling the tower, but now they scattered as the whistling sound drew closer. Hiccup readied the launch lever, watching, knowing that the flame would illuminate this dragon for just the slightest instant –

A pulsing sound. A bolt of light. A thick, thudding noise as it made contact with the tower.

The explosion illuminated everything in the sky by the armory. There had been countless weapons, aether crystals, even bomb ashes and black powder stored there. But now everything was bright, and all Hiccup needed was a shadow… a swift shadow speeding past against the lit backdrop of sky and fire…

_There._

He pulled the lever.

Several things happened all at once.

The first of which, and of most immediate concern, was that the Bola Bertha exploded.

Hiccup suddenly found himself on the ground with the air knocked out of him, gasping for breath. Where the cannon had once been was now a giant frozen crystal of ice with bits and pieces of metal and wood trapped in its matrix.

He had one short moment to stare at the bizarre sight before he heard a snap of a bola, the rush of ice magic, and a draconian scream.

The shadow had fallen.

Hiccup immediately sat up straight. He still struggled to pull air back into his lungs, but the excitement of the moment took all precedence.

He'd done it.

He'd hit it.

He'd hit the Night Fury!

"Woooooooo!" he whooped, jumping to his feet and taking several deep breaths. He pumped his fists into the air, not caring that his invention had been utterly destroyed. "I did it! I hit it! I hit a Night Fury! Did anyone see me hit it?"

There was no one on the hill. All focus remained on the tower.

Hiccup's shoulders sagged. "Oh come on…"

"Quite a shot, hatchling."

The voice was low and rankled with a snarl. A chill went up Hiccup's spine as a hot wind breathed onto him. He turned slowly to look behind him.

A Dravanian aevis growled at him.

"Except for you," he said dryly.

The dragon snarled and lunged.

Hiccup yelped and darted backwards, but too slowly. The dragon's face was suddenly much closer to him than he ever wanted to see, his right arm came up automatically to shield him, and then pain had erupted from his right forearm as a set of jaws clamped shut over it.

He screamed.

Something instinctual kicked in. His spear was suddenly off his back and in his left hand, jabbing forward over and over. He had forgotten any attack combos, and with only one arm to use, all he could do was repeat the motion and pray to Halone that his spear strike true and the aevis would stop attacking and oh Twelve his arm it was chewing and mauling into his arm it hurt it hurt it hurt -

His spear made contact with something soft, and the aevis suddenly shrieked and released its hold. Hiccup ripped his arm away and dashed off, gasping and thanking whoever it was that invented armguards, because he couldn't imagine losing his arm and this was worse than anything he had ever experienced. And then the aevis shrieked again, and Hiccup heard wingbeats and death threats from behind, and if panic hadn't already set hold, now it gripped him like the breath of ice itself.

He was hopeless.

He needed help.

He needed to find a marauder.

It took all his willpower to work through the pain, but with the spear in his left hand, he had little choice. He grit his teeth and brought his right hand up to his ear to touch the linkpearl as he raced back into the village proper.

"Help!" he shouted desperately. "Aevis on my tail – I'm by the armory!"

Gobber's voice came over first.

"Thal's balls, Hiccup! What're yeh doin' over there?!"

The aevis screeched and lunged forward. It only missed because Hiccup ducked under a collapsed beam and rolled through a tight cluster of wreckage.

"Save the lecture!" he screamed back. "I'm looking for a marauder – not finding one right now – gah!"

The aevis' face bit through splintered beams and roared at him. "Come here little Hyur!"

"No I will not!" he yelled at it, and he burst into a run again as it broke through and clambered after him.

It was finally too much. His bloodied arm fell limp to his side, flopping uselessly as he tried to escape from the aevis. He shot around a corner and attempted to focus.

_Cure spell Cure spell Cure spell - _

Light appeared over the injury. The cool feeling trickled over, easing the pain and bringing some sense of normality back to his arm. He tried to ready another Cure spell, bring the aether from the natural life around him to heal himself, because he needed this pain to end…

Wingbeats against air.

"Come here!" the aevis shrieked.

"Aaaaaaahh!"

He managed to get the spell off and ran without another thought. The arm was still in pain, but he could move his fingers again, and that was what mattered. He gripped the spear handle as though it were his lifeline, perfectly aware that it really was. If that aevis cornered him, his spear was the last defense he had.

Everyone in the linkshell was shouting now, all of them sounding far more concerned than Hiccup would have expected from them. But he wasn't listening because there was an angry dragon after him, and for some reason he could understand every single shriek and curse it spat at him, which only made things far worse.

"Hatchling-murderers! Nix scum! Vermin! Defilers! Wretched spoken ones! You will burn, little Hyur, come to your death, I will crush your pathetic skull in my jaws!"

Hiccup tried not to listen as he darted back and forth between crumbling stone and broken beams. Things crashed behind him, and all he knew was that he had to find a marauder or more experienced fighter for help, because he was just a lancer fresh out of training and yes maybe he was a fullfledged lancer but he wasn't a very good one and Twelve he hated his life right now, oh great he had just run into an open square with nothing for cover –

Three figures. Two with lances. One with an axe.

He recognized that figure anywhere.

"Dad!"

"Hiccup, there you are - "

The aevis came screeching around the side, still spitting its curses at him.

"Ishgardian! You will die! All of you will _die_!"

Stoick's eyes widened. His eyes darted between Hiccup and the dragon as though he instantly knew what had happened. Then he grabbed a tomahawk from his belt.

"Hiccup, duck!"

He did, and the tomahawk whizzed over his head and straight at the aevis' head.

Its cry of pain told Hiccup that his father had landed the hit.

The aevis immediately changed directions, charging at Stoick. The man let out a great raging battle roar and rushed forward to meet it, bringing his axe down in a great overpowering release.

Hiccup practically collapsed, catching his breath as he watched. It was a sight to see experienced fighters against a dragon. A marauder holding their own against the enemy, while lancers worked from the flank and back to take it down. Hiccup was used to the drills, but it was different watching it in person, especially now that he had completed training. He imagined that the addition of archers and thaumaturges would only bring it down faster.

The relief was broken the moment the aevis let out a piercing shriek.

Stoick and the lancers reeled backwards as a red bloodthirsty energy erupted out, striking in all directions. Hiccup yelped, but it dissipated just as it brushed against his chest. It was a hot, burning pain, light against him but leaving the others in its immediate range gasping.

Then the aevis thrashed with its wings and tail, knocking the lancers away, and proceeded to advance on Stoick.

And it suddenly struck him that there wasn't a conjurer in sight.

_I'm so stupid!_

"_Dad_!"

He dove in with his spear.

Drills didn't matter now. He couldn't even remember the basic combination of attacks. He was just stabbing forward over and over with his spear, barely aware of the wrenching pain in his arm or the shouts of the lancers behind him.

What he did notice was the dragon screaming.

"You will die! You will die, all your brethren will die, Ishgard will fall! Our lord Nidhogg will rise once more! This place will be razed to the ground! You will die! Die! _Die_!"

It had to stop. It had to stop its guttural speech and snarling sounds, its threats of death and undulations of glory. It had to stop attacking, it had to stop moving, and he just kept stabbing, praying to Halone that his spear strike true, because he couldn't take this and it had to stop -

"Hiccup. Hiccup! It's dead!"

He stopped as his spear hit unmoving flesh. The feel of it squelching in suddenly made his stomach curl, and for the first time he realized exactly where he was and what he had just done.

_Dead. Dead dragon. I helped kill a dragon. I killed this dragon._

The stench of the beast's blood finally caught up to him. Its blood, his own blood, roasted flesh, brimstone, it diving at him, it _talking_ to him, these things were alive, something felt wrong –

He staggered, frozen in utter shock as he stared at the dead aevis before him. A large muscled hand caught him before he could fall to the ground.

"Easy there son," Stoick urged, his voice calm and soft. "You did it. It's a rush, the first kill. But it only gets better."

Hiccup nodded dumbly, not processing the words. He leaned forward with his right hand, putting his weight there as he accepted his father's support, only to yelp as a sharp pain shot through his forearm.

His spear clattered to the ground as he grabbed at his arm, gasping.

Stoick immediately reached forward. "Hiccup! What happened?"

He didn't answer, hissing as he lifted the arm towards the firelight. With the excitement of battle fading, the pain from the bite was now at the fore of his thoughts.

With his injury illuminated, even Stoick let out a worried curse. The tooth marks and mauled flesh were visible now; his earlier haphazard healing job barely held it together.

"Thal! That thanks to this beast?!" Stoick kicked a boot towards the dead aevis.

Hiccup grit his teeth at the pain and nodded. He wasn't sure what to think right now. He was injured and had just killed a dragon. He should be more excited, or relieved, or something, but… there was nothing but shock and disgust.

A gentle light suddenly appeared over his arm. Hiccup watched as a cool sensation washed over it, easing the pain and knitting the flesh back together. The tooth marks faded, skin regrew, and then there was no pain at all…

He blinked and looked up as the light vanished and his father removed his hand.

"Uh… thanks Dad," he muttered, not sure what else to say.

Stoick gave him a kind smile and patted him on the shoulder. "Least I could do. Should probably get Gothi to check just in case though. You did good tonight, son."

He paused for a moment as though something was caught in his throat.

"Maybe I should be congratulatin' you," he replied. Hiccup looked up at him, but couldn't tell if his father looked proud or… sad. "First dragon, first blood. Yer growin' up, son. Welcome to the ranks of proud Berkian warriors."

"Ah…"

Now he really didn't know what to say. What he had just been through was indeed an initiation, and he was fairly sure that he didn't like it.

He was saved from any other comments by an archer running towards them. An elezen, judging from her tall height and pointed ears, and certainly not a native Berkian from her accent, but a proud member of the village nonetheless.

"Chief, they're retreating from the main lines!" she reported.

Stoick nodded. "Good. Make sure to take care of the stragglers. Less dragons to report back to their nest."

"Aye, ser."

She saluted and hurried off. Stoick waved to the two lancers there, both of whom looked a bit stunned. "You two, go join 'er."

"Y-yes Chief."

The two spared another look towards Hiccup, then followed the archer.

Stoick sighed, wiping his forehead. He scowled at the dead aevis again and kicked it for good measure. Hiccup winced at it. He had no idea how he was supposed to feel at this exact moment.

Then his father turned to him with an even glare.

"So now that the danger is out of the way, and my son now knows what it's like killin' a dragon and near havin' an arm chewed off… what exactly were yeh doin' out on the front lines by the armory side when I explicitly told you _not_ to go to the front lines?!"

Hiccup opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. Then opened it again.

"How'd you know?"

Stoick tapped his earpiece. "Linkpearl. The new dragoon trainees aren't the only ones with a linkshell, yeh know. Gobber's hooked into the organizin' one."

"Oh."

_So that's how he knew where I was._

His father had now crossed his arms and looked expectant. Hiccup wasn't looking forward to answering.

"I, uh…" he began, gulping. Stoick's stern eyes were on him. _Oh boy._ "I… was testing out that bola launcher thing I was working on and it kind of exploded and maybe that's how I got that aevis' attention but it worked and I hit a Night Fury."

His father looked even more unamused now. "Uh huh."

"I really did, Dad!"

Stoick groaned and smacked his forehead. "Well I suppose it's a little late to tell you that this isn't a game and I have a village to take care of. And that these… shenanigans o' yours aren't helpin'."

"Yep. Just a bit late now," Hiccup replied with a grimace. He delicately poked his right forearm, half expecting it to scream in protest. "Sorry… Dad."

"So I don't need to tell you not to do it again."

"Nope. No need."

"And now you know firsthand exactly why I gave the order in the first place."

"Yes. Yes I do."

Stoick frowned at him. Hiccup could see the disappointment, but there was something hard and stern too.

"You're lucky," his father stated. "This is why we give these orders. Remember the lesson, son. Not everyone lives to do so."

Hiccup nodded solemnly. Oh, he would certainly remember this. It wasn't every day you nearly had your arm bitten off by a dragon.

It seemed the somewhat much-less-severe-than-expected scolding had finished, as Stoick turned away briefly to glance down one of the pathways. Someone was running down it towards them.

"Right," he stated. "I have fighters to work with and a village to clean up. The trainees are meetin' down by the smithy right now. I'll let Gobber know yeh're coming."

Hiccup nodded. "Okay Dad. I'll go. But – I really did hit that Night Fury, I'm serious."

Stoick gave him an exasperated look. "I don't have time for this, Hiccup."

"Really! Would I make this big a deal out of it after nearly getting my arm chomped off?"

His father looked unconvinced. "You had a rough night. Go to Gobber, then get some rest."

Hiccup threw his arms up into the air. The excitement of that moment had come back, and he was not going to let that achievement go to waste after everything with the aevis and the arm biting. "Come on Dad! I can even prove it to you, it shrieked and went down in the woods over by Raven Point, if it's still alive it's trapped and hurt pretty bad, come on I can show you - "

"In the mornin'," Stoick growled. He placed one firm gauntleted hand on his son's shoulder. "Check in with Gobber at the smithy, then go home, get yourself cleaned up, and get some rest, Hiccup. I think yeh got enough excitement for one night."

"But really, I did - "

"Enough!" Stoick shouted, waving him away. "Listen, I got me a pretty big village cleanup to handle. I don't have time for yer nonsense right now. Just go get some rest. You need it."

Hiccup opened his mouth to object, but his father had already turned to address the approaching dragoon. He scowled in irritation, picked up his spear, and stomped off.

_He never listens!_

He was in a foul mood all the way down to the smithy. If his father wouldn't listen or believe him, there was no chance anyone else would. He had shot down that Night Fury! He at least deserved some recognition for that, right?

As if killing that aevis wasn't enough.

The moment came back to him, and he suddenly felt sick. He recalled the feeling of his spear in its flesh, its speech, and how much he had wanted it to just stop. He had been responsible for making it do so. There was an odd mixture of relief and unsettled disgust churning in his stomach at it all. Nothing felt right.

He didn't like this.

Gobber looked incredibly relieved to see him when he walked into the smithy.

"Hiccup! Yer the last one, good to see yeh back safe, Stoick told me all about it!"

He nodded. He was too overwhelmed with everything to come back with anything else.

Gobber gave a heavy sigh. "Good good, so yeh see why we have those drills, real combat's anythin' but unpredictable – oh. I see," his tone changed. Hiccup could tell that Gobber had seen his arm. "I see. So that's how it was." The man's eyes flickered up to the spear tip as well. "You didn't clean yer spear."

"Oh," he said simply. "Forgot. Sorry."

Gobber gave him a pitying look and threw him a rag. He caught it and quietly began cleaning the blade.

"Well congratulations," the smith commented as Hiccup focused a little too keenly on his task. "I figured yeh might be a bit more excited about it though?"

"I thought I would be too," he replied sullenly. He gave the spear tip one more good wipe before tossing the used rag to the pile in the corner of the smithy.

Gobber sighed. "Oh don't be like that, Hiccup," he waved his axe hand as Hiccup gave him a pointed look. "You killed a dragon. Happens ta' everyone eventually. Yeh just started a little early, is all. Get a good sense of what fightin's all about, hey?"

He gave a half-hearted shrug as he placed the spear onto his back. "Sure."

Gobber had a rather concerned look on his face now. "You okay there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Tired, is all. Uh, debrief or something, right?"

The man still eyed him, but nodded. "Yes, debrief. Post-battle talk that I won't give much of 'cause there ain't much to talk about. You an' Tuffnut are the only ones that ended up getting pulled off o' yer assigned duties. It happens. An' from there, go with where yeh're needed. Follow orders. Kill dragons. No testin' new cannons in the middle of fightin'. Might be more, but I think it's better saved for when you lot are together for dragoon trainin'. Mornin' after this one. Yeah Hiccup, yeh don't look well, go back and sleep. Look like you could use it."

There was more unsaid in that, but Hiccup could guess the subtext. _First battles are rough. Sleep it off._

He nodded in reply. "Thanks Gobber."

He reached up to his ear to remove the linkpearl and its connecting earpiece, but the man shook his head and waved his axe hand. "Keep 'em both. Useful, all o' it."

Hiccup smiled tiredly and waved. "Thanks then. See you later."

He still didn't feel anywhere close to relieved as he stepped out of the smithy. It didn't help that the rest of his class having already seen Gobber, had decided to convene just around the corner from it as they conversed about the raid.

Or better yet, based on their immediate attention towards him, they had been waiting for him to show up.

Fishlegs looked eager to see him, but Snotlout edged over first.

"So Useless got the attention of a dragon," he leered in at him. "Hey, didja have fun being useless, Useless – whoa. Is that _blood_?!"

"Yes," Hiccup stated.

"Whose?"

"Mine and the dragon's."

No one said anything. They all stared at him instead, but Hiccup was simply grateful for their silence.

"The Bola Bertha exploded by the way, Ruff," he waved absently at her. "The ice remains are up on the hill by the armory if you wanna' take a look. I'll show you the next version when it's ready."

"Thanks?" she said. She sounded very uncertain and torn, but over what Hiccup couldn't tell. He didn't want to think about it at the moment in any case.

"What happened to the dragon?"

He blinked and turned to Astrid, who had her arms crossed. She looked expectant.

Even with his unease surrounding everything related to the aevis, he still couldn't stop himself from stuttering.

"K-killed it," he replied, looking away. _Don't look at her, don't look at her._ "Found Dad. He got it off me. It attacked more. And yeah. Spear, in. It works. Also, arm mauling and Cure spells. I, uh, I'm just gonna' go home now."

He stared firmly at his feet as he marched away, not wanting to know what she thought. He didn't want to spend any time with the other teens if at all possible, not now.

_That could've gone better…_

Hiccup just couldn't reconcile it with himself. They were a village of people that killed dragons. Berk trained dragoons, the front line in dragon slayers. Twelve, Ishgard itself was dedicated to it! They had been fighting in this Holy War against dragons for a thousand years! He had been wanting this for so long, to slay a dragon, gain recognition for it, make his mark to show everyone that the odd runt of a son to Stoick the Vast was perfectly capable as legacy to great dragon slayers. And he had done it. He should be happy and proud that he had been able to kill a dragon just out of lancer training.

Right?

_Why?_ He thought to himself as he trodded into his house. It felt distant and cold, as though the walls themselves were bearing down and judging him. _Why does it feel so wrong? Why did I – but why do I – none of this makes sense! Do other Berkians go through this?!_

His father's words floated back to him.

_It only gets better._

The Night Fury. He had hit it.

Everything started from there.

That had been his target. That had been his plan, his mark. The aevis had changed things, yes, but that didn't change the aim of making that failed Bola Bertha, or everything that had occurred prior to that dragon's attack.

Yes, perhaps he was sleep-deprived, and perhaps he was still a little in shock from his very first dragon-slaying as well as his very first injury in battle, but he _knew_ he had shot down that Night Fury. He had heard the snap of the bola, the burst of ice, the dragon's screech as it fell. He wasn't going to let a prize like that go.

Hiccup rushed to a basin and took a moment to throw some water over his face. Then he took a deep breath to steel himself, grabbed his sketchbook, and ran straight back out of the house.

_It only gets better._

He had to find that dragon.

_This'll fix everything._


	3. Heretic

A/N: I'm having so much fun mixing various events. Also, it should be very obvious when this story takes place by the end of the chapter...

* * *

><p><span>Heretic<span>

The sun had risen high into the sky, nearly reaching its zenith, and Hiccup had still not found that godsforsaken dragon.

He glanced down at the crude map he had drawn in his sketchbook, complete with his path taken and every section he had looked. Nope, no dragon.

"For the love of Halone, why me?!" he groaned, throwing his arms up into the air as he slammed the sketchbook shut. "The Twelve hate me. Some people lose their knife, or mug, or their helm. Me? Oh no, not me, I manage to lose an entire dragon!"

He batted angrily at a stray branch only for it to swing back and smack him in the face.

"Gah!"

_Oh they hate me._

With a scowl, he stuffed the sketchbook into his belt. He was starting to wonder if this was worth all the trouble.

A sleep cut short, a first battle, a first dragon. Now he was out in the wilderness chasing after a downed Night Fury that might or might not have escaped by now. He was still covered in grime, ash, and blood (eugh!) from the battle. And to top it all off, he was sleep deprived.

For a moment, his thoughts wandered back to the strange dream he'd had right before being pulled to awakening. It was incredibly clear, all of it, from the starshower to that sense of light. But the voice… that song, and those words… why did they stay with him?

_Hear… feel… think… what is that even supposed to mean? And that song…_

In a rush of inspiration, he grabbed his sketchbook back out, retrieved his charcoal piece, and began writing down the words.

_Look to those who walked before to lead those who walk after…_

He had heard of strange, mystical happenings before. The land of Eorzea was mired in it thanks to its natural abundance of aether, from the elementals of the Black Shroud to the shades of the Thanalan Desert. Strange dreams were no exception, though it was the song that struck him most.

_Female singer. Not one of the Dravanians? By Halone's grace, there'd be problems if this was Nidhogg. He couldn't be this anyway, right? I don't think? Hmm… 'Thy life is a riddle to bear rapture and sorrow…'_

He didn't even know how he could remember all the words to this song in the first place. Hours later, and he could still hear it ringing in his head. Maybe this was divine inspiration and he had been meant to live this life as a bard. Who knew.

'_Thou must live, die, and know.'_

Done.

_What a strange song…_

Hiccup sighed and shut the sketchbook shut again. Maybe he could see if the chapel library had any clues. He really, truly, sincerely hoped that this had nothing to do with Nidhogg's horde… he liked to think that his mind was his own.

The short respite had given him a moment to clear his mind of thoughts regarding the dragon. Now that he'd had time to breathe, a wave of exhaustion suddenly swept over him.

He sat himself down hard in the grass, staring dejectedly at his feet. He didn't even know what he was doing. He was cold, miserable, and tired, and all this for a dragon he'd shot down the night before, all because he had to do this and prove to himself, and to his village…

No, he'd already proven it to the village. He was doing this for himself.

There was that lurching, sick feeling in his stomach again. He mashed it down.

_Do I even need to do this? No… yes… yes I do. Yes I do. I am of Berk. I am of Ishgard. We slay dragons. This is my job, my duty…_

His train of thought faltered as one of the trees in the distance caught his attention.

Specifically, the splintered, broken half of it.

Hiccup pulled himself back to his feet and cautiously approached. He eyed the trunk and the smashed branches, noting that it looked as though something very large had crashed into it from the sky. Then, judging from the large indented trail in the ground… said object had bounced and slid down the hill.

He dropped down into a crouch as he lowered himself next to the tree. His boots squelched softly in the fresh mud; the track was new, the snapped tree looked recent...

Trying to remain silent, he crept down the hill. Something in his chest tightened. He pulled the spear off his back in response… just in case.

It took a moment to reach the bottom without slipping. There was a large rock just at the foot of the hill, and he very carefully climbed on top, gripping his spear, because while he couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary, there was always a chance that something might be lurking just out of sight –

Like that black winged body right there.

Hiccup yelped and ducked back down. He immediately tumbled off the rock.

"Yow!"

So much for a stealthy entrance.

Feeling extremely stupid now, he crouched there, spear in hand and ready to stab with it if he had to. He attempted to control his breathing as his heart pounded in his chest, sending blood ringing through his ears, because he was in danger of attack just like last night…

He listened.

Nothing.

He carefully poked his head out from behind the rock.

It hadn't moved.

Hiccup crept around the rock, still gripping his spear. But it the realization was beginning to settle. The black dragon before him was wrapped in the ropes of the bola, all four legs bound tightly to its body. He could see several frozen marks on its wings and tail where the ice must have exploded onto; even now they hadn't fully melted. The dragon itself had its head and neck splayed out, unmoving, bare and vulnerable for the taking.

He stepped forward towards it. Something was filling him – relief, perhaps? Relief. Just pure relief.

"I did it," he exclaimed, half unable to believe it. "I really did it! A Night Fury!" _This is way better than using a spear. And it's a Night Fury!_

He laughed and whooped raising his spear up to the sky. "I've done it! I have brought down this mighty beast - "

The dragon suddenly inhaled very deeply. Hiccup yelped and fell backwards.

"Okay so it's not dead it's not dead…"

He brought his spear straight back into a ready stance again. Just in case it tried to bite his arm off.

It took another couple heaving breaths, its chest expanding greatly. Hiccup gazed at it, trying to figure out how he could have missed its breathing, when he heard the voice.

"You…"

It came from the dragon. He jolted at the sound and stared.

Its eyes were open.

The Night Fury stared back, one large green eye with a slit pupil watching him. Its breathing quickened.

"It… was you…"

This dragon's voice was less guttural, lighter, and smoother than the aevis' had been. It was also much weaker and not filled with death threats.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed. That feeling was in him again, tensed chest and churning stomach. But this was a dragon.

"Yeah, it was me," he replied in a low voice. He held his spear before him. "I shot you down."

The dragon inhaled sharply. It didn't reply.

Hiccup tried to breathe, even though it felt like he had forgotten how. He was barely aware of his arms shaking as he pointed his spear at the dragon's neck. He had no idea why he felt so nervous and frightened… not when this dragon lay helpless before him, and he had already slain one of its kind. Something was clenching up inside him.

The Night Fury was still watching him, barely moving but for its chest. It lifted its head slightly and sniffed. It immediately winced, glancing back up at him.

Hiccup remembered that he was still covered in grime from the previous night's battle… which included remnants from that fight with the aevis.

"Yeah, that's right, I've killed one of your kind," he growled back. "And you're next, Dravanian."

It didn't respond to him. It only continued to watch.

Hiccup took a deep breath. He needed to calm himself. This dragon right in front of him had been the focus of everything – the Bola Bertha, everything after, everything since. That aevis was the first. This Night Fury would be the second. There would be many more dragons to come.

"I'm going to kill you dragon, cut out your heart, and take it to my father," he stated, steeling himself. His arms refused to stop shaking regardless. "Because I'm of Ishgard. I'm of Berk! You hear me?!"

The dragon finally released a low, mournful cry and closed its eyes. It dropped its head to the ground, its chest moving faster with more shallow inhales, as though resigned to its fate.

And… terrified.

Hiccup had his spear raised, ready to thrust forward and end the dragon's life. He knew the basic movement. He'd done it many times the night before. Just one thrust, and this would be over.

But he couldn't move.

He couldn't do it.

He remembered the feel of his spear in the belly of a dragon. He knew the pain of having the beast attack and nearly bite his arm off. He recalled the fear of seeing one dive at his father.

He had killed that dragon. Why couldn't he kill this one? He didn't understand.

Everything about it felt wrong.

The spear dropped from his hands and clattered to the ground. Quietly, he sunk to his knees, staring at the downed dragon before him.

_I don't want to do this. I can't do this. This isn't… how I wanted it…_

He looked over the dragon. The bola, the ropes digging into its skin, the frozen streaks across its scales. The entire beast, captured and brought down, lying there before him.

He felt sick.

"I did this."

He just stared. He wanted to leave. He didn't want anything to do with dragons anymore. This, this horror in front of him, had been his fault. He had wanted to kill a Night Fury so badly… now that he had slain a dragon, he didn't even know why anymore.

_They're Dravanians! They raid, kill, slaughter us, have been for generations! This is a Night Fury, it always goes after the buildings and the cannons and the towers – it never directly tries to kill anyone. _

_What have I done…_

The guilt poured into him, leaving him gasping at the pain that shot through his chest. He couldn't do this… he couldn't kill it.

He had to fix his mistake.

Before he quite knew what he was doing, he had pulled out his knife and was sawing through the ropes.

They snapped and loosened. Each one was a distinct reminder that he was releasing this dragon, and that if it didn't kill him then he would be living with treason on his hands, because he was ignoring everything the Church taught and said about dragons, but something inside didn't care and just wanted to make this right –

The Night Fury sprung free and pounced on him.

Hiccup found himself flat on his back, with two black dragon paws on his chest and both his knife and spear knocked away out of reach. He gasped as its weight pushed him into the ground, while two luminous, rage-filled green eyes glared from above.

He struggled briefly, trying to push its paws off and release the pressure from his chest, but the black snout drew closer to his head. The dragon snarled, teeth slightly bared as a growl rumbled from its throat.

This was it. He'd angered the dragon, threatened it with death, and proceeded to release it. He was about to die.

_I probably deserve it after all this._

The dragon drew its head back, opening its mouth. Hiccup couldn't move, couldn't escape, so he cringed away as far as he was able, expecting the inevitable. _I'm so sorry this was stupid oh gods oh Twelve Halone have mercy Dad – _

It lifted its paws, stomped them heavily into the ground beside him, and roared into his face.

Then it bounded off, spreading its wings and gliding out of sight.

Hiccup dizzily pulled himself up, faintly aware that his lungs were still working and that he could in fact breathe. His heart felt like it was trying to escape his chest, and his entire body was stunned, but somehow… he was alive. It hadn't killed him.

The dragon screeched again in the distance, accompanied by the sound of something breaking and a large boom. Hiccup somehow managed to pick up his knife and spear, and in a daze he slowly turned around.

Then he gave up and dropped both as he collapsed to the ground in shock.

He sat there with his face in the dirt and stared at his hand.

He'd just committed treason.

If anyone ever found out, he'd be labeled a heretic.

This couldn't end well.

* * *

><p>It had to have bewitched him. The Dravanians did that. It was the only explanation for why he hadn't been able to kill that dragon.<p>

_You don't touch them, you don't look them in the eye, you don't even speak or listen to them, because that's how they catch you, that's how they bewitch you, it's what the Archbishop and all the teachings say, you were bewitched when that aevis bit you last night, that has to be why you could understand it, that must be why – _

_Oh Halone, oh Twelve, I'm a heretic. I'm a heretic. We burn heretics! The Inquisitors put them to the stake, or the axe, or cliff, just by Halone's Fury the trial, oh gods I'm a heretic, this is so messed up!_

Hiccup had no idea how he had managed to make it back to Berk. Once he'd gathered his wits about him, he had stumbled along aimlessly in utter dazed horror of what he had done.

Now of course, he was trudging down the streets of his home village, slowly approaching his house. In the dark for that matter, as it had taken that long for him to meander his way through the woods.

He sincerely hoped that his father was still out dealing with the post-battle details. He had passed plenty of destroyed buildings and broken walls on the way in, which could only mean more work for the Chief to deal with. It would save him questions about why he'd been gone all day and was still wearing his armor.

With a numb hand, he pushed open the door.

_Oh look. There's my Dad._

"Hiccup," Stoick greeted, waving a half-cooked fish at him. The hearth had been stoked, and a kettle of something was bubbling over the fire. "I was wonderin' when you'd reappear."

Hiccup grimaced and tenderly crossed over the threshold. "Hey… Dad…"

He made an extra effort to turn around and close the door behind him, focusing on ensuring it was properly set.

"You've been out since the battle?"

His father sounded… stoic. Hiccup couldn't read it.

He turned back around, laughing weakly. "Um… uh… maybe. You know, just… out there…"

"Looking for your downed dragon, I wager," Stoick replied flatly. He seemed a bit exasperated, though resigned. "And what of it?"

Hiccup grimaced. "I, uh… it escaped," he answered, not meeting his father's eyes. "Ropes were broken. Or maybe something found it and carried it off. It was gone by the time I found it, anyway."

_More like it was gone after I found it…_

"Hmm."

Stoick was looking at him rather intently now. Hiccup thought back to that earlier moment with the dragon.

"Dad, I need to talk to you," he stated.

His father nodded. "Good, because I need to speak with you too."

"Oh, okay. Uh, you go first."

Stoick rubbed his hands together and sighed.

"Dragoon training," he began. "You're starting tomorrow morning. You'll want good rest, and be sure to eat a light breakfast. Yeh start out on basics and learnin' the Jump. So wear your leather armor for it. Yeh might get a few observers, word's already spread that you killed yer first dragon last night."

Hiccup blanched. He had entirely forgotten that he was starting dragoon training.

"Oh, uh, ha… about that," he cringed, trying to figure out how to get through this one. "I was, uh, thinking, you know… after last night and all, I'm really not sure that spearing dragons is for me, ya know? It, ah, it's weird. Maybe I could go back over to the engineering side and make cannons and things," he mimed holding a cannon starter in his hand, "Or you know, people always say my aether control's decent, I've always wanted to try out the arcane magics, you know those carbuncles - "

Stoick suddenly burst out laughing.

Hiccup stared. "Uh, Dad?"

"You have cold feet over starting dragoon training!" he guffawed. "Oh Halone I shouldn'ta told yeh about the observers. It's _fine_, son. It's the basics, no one expects you to do a perfect Jump on your first day!"

"I – that's not it, Dad - "

How in the Seven Hells was he supposed to explain that he couldn't do this anymore? That spearing a dragon was sickening and he never wanted to experience that sensation ever again, and that he had probably been slightly bewitched in the first place – except he couldn't say that, because then everyone would know he was a heretic.

_Why do the gods hate me so?!_

He took a breath and braced himself against the wall. "Dad, that's not what I'm saying! I can't do this, I can't kill dragons!"

Stoick snorted. "But you already have!" he exclaimed. "The first one's always rough, but it only gets better, don't worry. You're just nervous! Don't you worry, everyone is, it doesn't matter what happened before!"

"Wait, but Dad – ugh…"

He wished that his father hadn't brought up killing that aevis during the attack. He wanted to forget the entire thing even happened.

There wasn't anywhere to escape to, not with all of Stoick's attention on him. He curled away, willing himself to melt into the house woodwork and disappear from his father's gaze, but the man stood with a jaunty bounce and sturdily placed both hands on his son's shoulders.

"Come on, Hiccup," Stoick chuckled, giving him an encouraging squeeze. It made him tense up more. "Just cold feet. I mean, just look at you! Remember how I didn't even want yeh going' into lancer training? How much you argued back then to be allowed in, and eventually it took Gobber to convince me? And look at you now! Full-fledged lancer, ready for dragoon training, and yeh killed a dragon in your first battle!"

"But I had help," he objected. "You took it off me, and those two lancers took care of most of it, I just got the finishing blow."

Stoick looked at him evenly. "Only the dragoons can kill dragons by themselves. Weaker ones at that. We all do it as a team, son. And that was pretty much all you by the end. Bertholdt and Steiner were too shocked to help once they'd been thrown back, but you just dived right in. One o' the lessons of lancer training – courage! Don't talk down yer own achievement, son, yeh did it! You've got promise! Halone's Fury, you can't give up now after everything, can you?"

"I – well, no, I…"

It was true… all of that effort, all for the dream of becoming a dragoon. It felt strange to push it aside after everything. There had never been high hopes for the wayward runt son of Stoick the Vast, who was clever with hands, but whom they said would never amount to anything in combat.

Passing lancer training had been the first step in proving them wrong. Becoming a dragoon would challenge everything completely…

_But I already killed a dragon. Now I have people's attention and… respect even? It's what I wanted, but…_

_The Night Fury. I couldn't kill it. Everyone expects me to kill dragons now. I don't want…_

Stoick clapped Hiccup on the back, nearly pushing him over. "Right, then. No giving up. It ain't the Berkian way, eh?" he nodded. "Now go wash up and get some rest, Hiccup. And eat something! You need the energy!"

He breathed, rubbing his shoulders. There was no way he could argue with his father or tell him the real reason for his hesitation. "Y-yeah. That's all I need. I'll just… grab some food and get an early night's sleep then? Since, you know, I've been out since last night's battle - "

Stoick promptly picked up his son, sat him down on a stool, and proceeded shove cheese and fish into his lap before he could protest.

It ended up being a very awkward dinner. Stoick tried to feed Hiccup half of the house's stores before the poor boy had to nearly shout him down. It was clear that his father was proud about everything – passing lancer training, the aevis from the night before, and the upcoming dragoon training – and he continued to regale Hiccup with tales of his dragoon days and tips for taking down dragons. Hiccup had to nod and pretend to chew extra food just to give himself a reason not to answer.

"Oh yes – something you need to know Hiccup… several of our scouts have found what looks to be a heretic hideout."

Hiccup nearly choked on his fish.

"Mmmhrrmgh?" he smiled with it still in his mouth, trying to look polite and interested.

Stoick nodded. His eyes were slightly unfocused as though he was looking into the distance at something unseen.

"Many Dravanians there, plus several elezens. Sympathizers, no doubt," he snorted. "Seems to be the newest source of the attacks on Berk. A full unit of us is marching on it, leaving late tomorrow. I'm heading the group as one of the marauders."

Hiccup blinked, trying to still the uneasy sensation in his chest. "Orgh," he replied.

Stoick exhaled, then gave Hiccup a hearty grin. "No worries son! We don't leave until after the first dragoon lesson, so you'll see me when yeh get back! And you know us Berkians. Stubborn, hardy folk. The heretics are no match for us."

Hiccup nodded emphatically, trying to look reassuring. The phrase just kept repeating itself in his head. _I'm a heretic. I'm a heretic. I'm a heretic. They're going after heretics. If they find out they'll kill me. I have to hide it. I'm a heretic. No one can know. _

Now he had a sudden reason to continue dragoon training and do as well as he could. It would dissuade any suspicions of his moment of weakness.

_Right. Okay! Dragoon training!_

… _ugh._

He finally swallowed his fish. "Cool Dad," he replied, trying to smile. "Halone's Grace be with you and the whole unit."

Stoick laughed. "We're not leavin' til tomorrow, son! But thanks for the blessing."

Hiccup tried to laugh back. It came out sounding very uneasy.

"Well, uh… I'm really full now, so I'm gonna go to bed," he gave a weak smile. "Make up for all that lack of sleep from last night."

"Wash up, first."

"Yeah, I'll do that. Night Dad."

He was glad to leave his father's company, if only for the horribly guilty sensation in his stomach that he knew didn't come from the cooking.

It followed him the rest of the night. It was the heavy, sinking reminder that he had freed that dragon instead of killing it, an act forbidden by the Ishgardian Orthodox Church, something considered treason and heresy… that dragon would go back to the Dravanians and tell them about the small lancer boy who had freed it, and the heretics would figure out…

The entire scenario cascaded in his mind up to where the Inquisitors deemed him guilty and hung his body from a cliff for all of Berk to see. Then Halone condemned his soul to the Seven Hells. He had no idea how he was supposed to sleep that night.

Washed, tired, and torn with everything, Hiccup practically collapsed into bed. He glanced out the window, breathing, trying somehow to give himself solace that everything would be all right. It didn't come.

The sky was clear tonight, bright stars glittering down upon the earth. That in itself was at least calming. At least it was unlikely they would be attacked by dragons again. Though…

The two moons of Eorzea's sky shone down, luminous against the darkness. Menphina and the smaller moon, her loyal hound Dalamud. Hiccup normally liked the sight of the two moons, serene celestial bodies against the plane of deep void. But tonight, Dalamud looked much larger than normal… and it glowed an odd reddish hue.

_Gods know what kind of omen that is._

Hiccup shuddered, hoping that his fears wouldn't come to pass, and he turned over in an attempt to sleep.


	4. Dragoon Training

A/N: Some lore related things and my take on one aspect of the job system. See below after the chapter for more details.

**NOTE: Due to revelations regarding Heavensward and Ishgard, especially with the Patch 2.5x coming out, I am waiting until there is more information available before focusing in on the next several chapters. It will be interesting, for sure.**

* * *

><p><span>Dragoon Training<span>

"Welcome to Dragoon Training!"

It was surprisingly much less grand than Hiccup thought it would be. The dragoon training grounds were separate from the lancer's, and seemed a bit cleaner, but for the most part they looked the exact same. The exception was the elaborate set of striking dummies – several were connected to pulley sets that were clearly designed to simulate targets in the air – and a large sand pit to the side. A couple large trees towards the entrance to the training grounds marked a more grassy area, clearly left there for when trainees were taking breaks and wanted to relax.

"No turning back now," Astrid murmured. Hiccup glanced over at her from his place in the line where the recruits stood at attention. She, like everyone else, wore simple leather armor and carried both a training spear and a protective helm.

There were only six people in this class. Because the waves of people both passing lancer training and qualifying for dragoon training varied, classes were set on a rolling basis and were often divided based on age and experience. Theirs wasn't the only beginner dragoon class, but theirs was the only one made up of all freshly minted lancers.

Everyone looked slightly nervous, standing there in that line. Gobber wasn't the reason - everyone knew the jovial man long before he became their dragoon instructor, and it was just impossible to be nervous after any history with him. No, it was more likely the actual aspect of the training itself... and perhaps the small crowd of people observing from the side.

One of whom included Chief Stoick himself.

_Oh gods why._

His father hadn't been home when Hiccup left; he assumed it was for 'chiefly duties'. In any case, Hiccup had been more than grateful for the privacy, and it had even let him hold off on leaving for the training grounds until the starting bell had nearly rung. Less time for anyone to talk to him. Less questions.

He was still trying to ignore the obvious looks from his classmates and the observers even as Gobber made his speech from the front of the class.

"Let's get started!" the man called. He looked just as he always did; missing an arm and a leg (the arm was replaced by a hook today, but the leg looked mechanical) and dressed in the same tunic he wore in the smithy. Hiccup supposed that when you were a respected dragoon trainer, you could wear whatever you felt like when training new recruits.

"Dragoon training – a fine tradition here in Berk, and all of Ishgard," Gobber made a waving motion with his good hand. Then he chuckled. "Now, you all know the history, Haldrath and Nidhogg, the Azure Dragoon, and so on. So I'm not goin' ta waste time. Best do well then – because you're all part of the little tradition we have here in Berk - a race to the final exam. A race to see who will be the first to kill their first dragon!"

Snotlout blinked and glanced at his cousin. "Uh, Hiccup already killed an aevis, does that disqualify him from that, or…?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, but Gobber shook his head, grinning. "Nope!" the man chuckled. "I should clear it up – who will kill their first dragon… completely _solo_."

Everyone looked at Gobber with a mixture of eagerness and horror. Hiccup felt very much in the latter category.

"So that means Hiccup here has an edge up on all o' yeh," Gobber nudged Hiccup with an elbow with a very proud smile. "So I suggest yeh train hard."

Hiccup felt his stomach make that disturbed roll again. How much had changed with the killing of a single dragon.

"Now then!" Gobber marched back in front of everyone hand and hook on hips. "All o' yeh know the basics now. Lancer training takes care of that. But let me tell you, it doesn't end there; yeh'll be learning more spear techniques, the best ways to slay dragons, and yes, that trademark attack that all dragoons learn… the Jump."

He grinned all of them, and suddenly a circle of aether formed about him as he propelled into the air.

Everyone gaped as he flew. The stout man flipped high in the air, seemingly at home in the midst of flight, before he somersaulted and landed with a firm 'whomp!' back on the ground before them. He looked quite at ease with the acrobatic feat he had just performed.

"That," he stated, chuckling, "is the dragoon's Jump." Then he sighed and rubbed his back. "Halone have mercy, I don't practice that nearly enough."

As far as Hiccup knew, Gobber didn't need practice. The man might have been retired from active dragoon combat since losing his hand, but that Jump was definitely better than anything he expected from the class, much less himself.

Gobber chuckled weakly to himself as he stood straight again. "Ach, well good thing I have help. For now though – none o' yeh'll be jumping on cold muscles. So get to yer warmups! Chop chop! Laps around the field!"

Hiccup immediately dropped his spear and with the rest of the class, began running.

It was strange how an experience involving running for your life from an angry aevis could make warmup laps around the field seem much less difficult. He found that he gasped less; he was also, for some reason, able to keep up with Fishlegs quite easily.

He quite preferred the current run to the Dravanian raid's hectic scramble. Less stress.

The morning followed in a fairly routine manner, with more warmups, drills, and spear forms. Gobber clearly preferred a more hands-on approach to teaching, but for this specific day he was going the traditional route, as he grumbled more than once. "Yeh'll get your chance in the field," he announced to all of them. "I've already spoken with the village Levemaster about it. Good chance to put all your skills to practice."

Hiccup only vaguely heard Gobber as he managed to finish the final spear form without falling over. He already felt very stupid about having whacked himself in the head with his spear handle during drills.

They went into sparring next. Six people meant three sparring groups, so they cycled around from partner to partner. Nothing had changed when it came to this at least; Hiccup found himself thrown on the floor with a spear to his neck for every single round. It was a very familiar feeling. It was extremely odd that he felt more comfortable with this than the earlier looks of curiosity from the observers.

"Pfft, well some things haven't changed," Ruffnut planted her spear into the ground, looking down at Hiccup with a derisive grin. She looked slightly annoyed, much to Hiccup's surprise.

He rolled his eyes in response and pulled himself up. "I'd hope not. I'm friends with the dirt, I think it'd miss me."

She blinked at him, but not before Gobber had shouted out to everyone again.

"Sparrin's over! Short break, get some water! And put yer helmets on!"

Ruffnut practically whooped and raced back to where everyone's extra gear lay in piles. Hiccup just sighed and followed halfheartedly. He noticed Gobber wandering over towards the crowd of observers, obviously talking to someone. So far, Stoick looked unimpressed. Or maybe that was just his normal scowling expression.

Much to his displeasure, Snotlout immediately accosted him as he reached the others.

"So Useful, the whole village is buzzing about you," his cousin crossed his arms, eying him expectantly. "You really did kill that aevis?"

Hiccup nodded, swallowing. He was going to have to play this off somehow. "Yeah. You know, if the blood on my arm and all the aevis gore didn't tip you off," he said with a pointed look.

"It was dark!" Snotlout protested.

"That's not an excuse if you ever have to help an injured comrade in battle," Astrid retorted. She wiped the sweat off her brow and nodded at Hiccup. He shrugged in an attempt to look coolly grateful, but he wasn't sure if that was how it came off as.

Fishlegs practically bounced up to him. "I heard you went all berserk on the thing!" he gaped in awe. "Like, it used its Strident Shriek attack and knocked back the other fighters, but you were just out of range so you dove in and just stabbed it to death from there!"

Hiccup cringed at the description. "Uh, yeah, that's pretty much how it happened…" he laughed uneasily.

"Wow, I'm impressed," Astrid commented, this time with an approving smile. Hiccup's insides fluttered a bit. "That's the story I heard too… didn't think you had it in you. Looks like you might make a fine dragon slayer yet."

"Ehe… we'll see…"

"Did it really almost bite your arm off?" Tuffnut suddenly jumped forward and grabbed Hiccup's right arm. He yelped and tried to pull it back, but Tuffnut seemed insistent on examining it. "Do you have a scar?"

"Tuffnut! Let go!"

Ruffnut tilted her head. "It _was_ pretty bloody looking…"

The two struggled briefly, but Hiccup eventually gave in as the other boy was stronger than him. Tuffnut finally released the arm several moments later, looking disappointed. "No scar."

Hiccup glared at him and cradled the arm to his chest. It still felt tender. "Nothing like Cure spells to ruin your fun, huh," he muttered.

"Man, why'd _you_ get all the action?" Tuffnut groaned. "Wish I coulda gotten some! I mean the Big Bertha's awesome and all… but a dragon up close? Coulda gotten some serious burns!"

"Yeah, I was hoping for some mauling!" Ruffnut grinned.

Astrid snorted and gave the others a confident look. "Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it."

"Mauling is not fun," Hiccup said flatly.

They all looked at him.

"… how was that?" Fishlegs asked after a pregnant moment.

"Painful," he stated. "It just extends how long the dragon's chewing your arm. I think next time I'd rather go with a clean bite. Get it over with. Or a claw. Seriously."

He had to stop as he realized that everyone else was staring at him. It also took him a moment for it to click just how nonchalant he had sounded about battle injuries.

He gave an uneasy chuckle. "You know, we're gonna be fighting the Dravanians, might as well get used to it right? Still have to keep fighting when we're not first priority for Cures."

Everyone else glanced at each other. Then they burst into oddly raucous laughter.

"Point taken, cousin," Snotlout clapped him on the back. Hiccup couldn't help but stiffen in realization of just how strange this was. "You sound like a Berkian."

"Well, uh, I am one…"

"We need to throw you in front of more dragons," Ruffnut waved at him. "You're way more fun now."

Hiccup stared in disbelief at them. Then he gave a half-hearted fist pump. "More dragons. More arm mauling! Pain, love it!"

He immediately regretted those words, as they were apparently the cue for the entire group, minus Astrid, to run up and pester him about the aevis. What it was like, they asked, how many teeth it had, what color were its scales, and was that teaching from the Church about bewitching via dragon touch was true (Hiccup had to violently mash down an urge to vomit at this).

Astrid seemed to respect his space and stayed back. This he was eternally grateful for, and he grinned helplessly at her from where he was stuck with four excited teens surrounding him. The sound of Gobber's yell thankfully saved him.

"Back to it, you lot! At attention!"

They all immediately jammed on their helmets, grabbed their spears, and ran back to the line.

Gobber marched to the front once more, but this time he was accompanied by someone from the group of observers. She was a tall, elegant Elezen woman who easily exceeded Gobber in height, her silver braided hair pinned tightly to her head. She wore chainmail with a red tabard that had the Berk crest stamped over it, and she carried a weathered lance on her back.

Hiccup's heart sank as he recognized her. She was a dragoon. In fact, she was the same dragoon he'd once gotten in the way of and nearly caused to lose her arm.

_And now I know how painful that is. Eugh…_

"All right, all o' yeh," Gobber announced. "It's time. Yer very first jumping lesson!"

The twins were practically bouncing already. Everyone else seemed just as eager. Hiccup mostly wanted to melt into the ground.

Gobber chuckled, gazing at all of them with a fond, reminiscent look. "Now, since I'm not in the best shape for jumping," he patted his belly and kicking a little with his mechanical leg, "I've brought in a volunteer who's goin' ta be helpin' us for the duration of your main training. Estelle Fournier. Say hello, everyone!"

The woman stepped forward and gave a soldierly bow. She gave them a kind smile.

"Estelle Fournier," she spoke in her clear Ishgardian accent. "Tis a pleasure to be of aid to your training class. I look forward to working with you."

Everyone watched in awe, and Snotlout even waved. She looked slightly amused at this.

Her gaze however rested on Hiccup for a few moments, with her expression unreadable. He gulped in response. He could tell that she remembered him too.

Gobber laughed and clapped his hand on her shoulder. She smiled back at him. "Estelle's one of our best jumpers," he remarked. "So she can do the best job of showin' a Jump in all its glory." He grinned widely at this. "Up for it, dragoon?"

The woman nodded and gave him a sharp salute. She turned on her heel and marched up towards the furthest line drawn from the sand pit, pulling the spear off of her back as she did so. Then, without preamble, she stepped to the line and jumped.

The trail of aether followed as her lithe form flew into the air, higher than Gobber had gone and with far more poise. She spun as she flipped, spiraling as she arced through the air, the spear acting to balance as though it was the center of her movement. Then she reached the greatest point in her jump, and with a powerful twisting dive, drove the spear deep into the sand pit.

Sand blew everywhere and blue light exploded from the blow, but she clearly wasn't done. The spear came out as she somersaulted backwards, her legs kicking upwards as she vaulted, and then she was back at the line with her spear in ready position as though she hadn't moved at all.

Hiccup's mouth was open. So was everyone else's in the line.

"Showoff," Gobber snorted.

Estelle turned and winked at him. "Twas not for combat purposes, and you wanted a display of the best jumping possible. I thought to embellish."

"That you did."

She smiled and gave him a flourishing bow. Hiccup could have sworn she looked slightly cheeky while doing it.

Gobber seemed incredulous, but he nodded anyway. "Thank you Estelle," he spoke, turning back to the others. He cleared his throat and began again.

"Now the Jump is the trademark dragoon technique," he stated. "What you must know is that it's not entirely physical. S'not possible to jump that high by yourself! What's really important when it comes to this – is the aether."

A circle of aether briefly swirled, then faded around him. Gobber grinned a little.

"So now, time for you to try! First, spread out, give yourselves some room. That's it," he nodded in approval as everyone quickly moved away from each other. "Now drop your spears, yeh won't be needin' 'em for the rest of today – that's right Tuffnut, drop the spear," he said pointedly as the boy nearly shouted in protest. "Might poke yerself in the eye. Gather your aether – all o' yeh know how to do this, yeh do it for half o' the attacks you know, come on now - and yeh use it to _propel_. From the legs. Come on now, give it a go. Not too much. Gentle. Just enough to bounce."

So in short, it involved aether control. Hiccup could do that. Aether control was something he could do. He focused, remembering what he had seen with both dragoons as they jumped.

He stepped away from the spear and tried. Aether and some physical movement. To his surprise, a thin circle of aether formed around him and his entire body hopped up from the ground.

He had to hold out his arms for balance to keep from falling on his face, but he managed to do it. A thin circle of aether, a gentle bounce. He did it a few more times for practice.

Strangely, he was the only one who was able to maintain a consistent delicate bounce off the ground. Astrid nearly lost her balance several times, and Snotlout's bounce was lopsided, while the other three could barely move themselves off the ground.

Gobber and Estelle had clearly noticed. They both nodded to him as they moved towards the others. "Good job, Hiccup. You're doing it correctly," Estelle smiled as Gobber began correcting Snotlout's posture.

They didn't spend very long on it; apparently, Gobber wanted to move to the actual Jump.

He gave more instructions, how to utilize aether better, how to control, the correct posture, the landing. Hiccup listened closely, applying each one as they build upon the previous step. If there was anything he was decent at combat-wise, it was his aether control. It was the single thing he had confidence in.

By the time they had practiced the landing several times, the murmur from the observation crowd had grown audible for them to hear. Hiccup glanced over as Gobber called them back to the line, noticing whispers, pointing, and Stoick and Spitelout clearly making bets of some sort. The class was apparently reaching the point of some exciting event.

"It's time," Gobber announced. "For you to attempt the Jump."

Astrid's face lit up; Snotlout hopped up and down on his feet; Fishlegs was grinning, and both Ruffnut and Tuffnut cheered. Hiccup took a deep breath, steeling himself.

"So now the question is… who wants to go first?"

The enthusiasm instantly died. Everyone looked at each other. Hiccup tried very hard to stare at the ground and not look either Gobber or Estelle in the eye.

Then he felt a shove from behind.

He stumbled forward and glared backwards to see Snotlout looking away with a grin on his face.

_Oh for the love of Halone!_

Gobber glared at Snotlout and thwacked the boy upside the head. Then he sighed and knelt down by Hiccup. "Yeh're going to be learning it anyway, so why not give it a try," he gave Hiccup an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Come on. Don't worry. Everyone goes through it. Don't worry about messin' up. I saw yer aether control back there, you'll be fine."

Hiccup felt akin to a walking statue as Gobber led him towards the sand pit. Everyone was watching, and now he was certain that Snotlout and the twins were laughing at him. He might as well have been walking to his grave. Death by sand pit. He was going to fall flat on his face or land headfirst in the sand or something stupid like that…

Gobber stopped him at the closest line. "All right Hiccup! You have yer helmet on. So give it a go!"

Hiccup took a deep breath, doing his best to ignore the crowd of observers and the line of fellow trainees. The sand pit stared back at him tauntingly, like it was daring him to fail.

_Oh no. I'm not failing. I'm going to jump and land and spray sand all over the place just like Estelle, you stupid sand pit. Yeah. It's just a sand pit. Just a jump. I can do this. I can do this._

He gathered the aether within him, focusing on the target before him. He wasn't going to trip. He wasn't going to have a stupid failure. He was going to jump. He was going to do it.

He braced himself, took position, and jumped.

He missed the sand pit entirely.

Instead, he found himself flailing helplessly in the air as he catapulted off to the side towards one of the large trees.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH - "

* * *

><p>"So, I guess you and that tree got rather acquainted," Stoick mused as he stirred the pot over the hearth. "But breaking half its branches off and knocking yerself out? That takes some special talent. I'm amazed the thing is still standin'."<p>

Hiccup nodded sheepishly. He held a packet of ice shards to his head, which still ached a bit, though head injury was already gone, courtesy of Gobber and some panicking classmates. He wasn't sure if he was flattered or mortified to know that one of them had been Astrid.

"Not… one of my finer moments," he mumbled.

"You know that's going down in Berkian dragoon history as one of the most amusin' first Jumps, right?"

"Oh. Lovely."

Stoick burst out laughing, and he slapped his thigh in his mirth. Hiccup did not feel any better about this.

"Really son! How did you get all the way from the sand pit to the restin' grounds?! That's over half the yard!" At Hiccup's unamused glare, Stoick snorted. "Oh, don't look like that Hiccup. No one's first Jump goes well. Yours was just rather spectacular. And really, tree aside, it was not bad at all."

He ladled the stew into a bowl and handed it over. Hiccup finally put the packet down and started eating, not sure how he was supposed to feel about this.

"Not bad, Dad? The whole village was laughing at me."

"Oh stop feelin' so embarrassed!" Stoick waved him off as he ladled himself his own bowl. "There've been worse first Jumps. I missed the sand pit too. Landed in front of it though."

Hiccup perked up slightly at the mention of his father also having a substandard first Jump. Stoick just chuckled as he sat down with his bowl and began counting off on his fingers.

"Let's see… yeh got the power for distance and height, seein' as how you were fished out of that tree. You even got power enough to strip half the branches from said tree in your landing. Aim… that needs work. But we'll get there."

Hiccup slowly nodded, focusing on his stew. He still felt highly embarrassed about the entire thing; he hadn't tried jumping again, unlike the rest of his class, who had done their Jumps and then worked on the basics of it for the rest of the period. They at least managed to make it to the sand pit, even if Tuffnut's had looked more akin to him crawling through the air at it.

"But I hear you get to work with the Levemaster tomorrow?" Stoick mentioned. "Some good practical combat experience, eh? I wouldn't recommend using the Jump just yet."

"No, no, I'd probably just kill another tree," Hiccup grimaced, and he spooned some stew into his mouth. "But yeah. We're trained lancers, so you know… puts us to work."

There was a sharp rap at the door. Stoick turned to it, his face serious as though he knew what was coming. "Yes, enter! Just finishin' up!"

The door opened, and Estelle strode in, bowing at the entrance. Hiccup's stomach lurched a little at the sight of her. She was still wearing the same armor from the training grounds.

"Chief Stoick," she saluted. "Ser Armin wishes to speak with you. He also asks me to remind you that the heretic mission departs soon."

Stoick sighed. "Oh, that. I know what he wants. I'm leaving soon, I'll be over shortly. Thank you Estelle."

"I'm also here to assure that Hiccup has not suffered any lasting injuries after that… collision with the tree," she chuckled slightly, glancing over at him. Her eyes touched upon the packet of ice shards next to him. "Are you well?"

He nodded, trying to grin as well as he could when there was half a chunk of meat in his mouth. He hurriedly chewed and swallowed it.

"Doing as well as I could after a tree to the head," he waved his spoon. "Hooray for Cure spells."

She smiled at him. "Good good. They'll be talking about it for years, as a fair warning."

He must have looked extremely dejected about it, because she suddenly burst out laughing at him. "Tis quite all right, young Hiccup! The first Jump of any beginning dragoon is haphazard at best. I tripped and fell flat on my face, my first one. Not even a single yalm off the ground. Tis all solidarity in first attempts that makes this all amusing to us, I assure you."

Hiccup blinked and stared at her. He remembered seeing that graceful jump, high into the air with a diving spin to drive the spear deep into the sand. It was hard to even imagine her tripping and falling at the line.

Stoick laughed, then quickly gobbled the rest of his stew into his mouth. It was a reminder that he and the others searching out those heretics were leaving soon. No dragon attacks tonight, based on the astrologians. Safer to make the initial march at night, when there was less chance of mad aevis' approach.

"Right then," he wiped the stew from his beard, then stood. "I suppose I ought to be headin' off then. Hiccup, rest of the stew is yours. You'll want to eat well, 'specially if yeh're headin' out into the field tomorrow. Estelle, look after him and the other trainees, will yeh? You and Gobber have 'em in your charge."

Estelle saluted, then gave a deep bow. "Of course, Chief. Fight well."

Hiccup sat with his stew, nodding dumbly. Then he put it down as he watched his father grab his pack of supplies and bedroll, throwing them onto his back. A spear was bound to the pack. The heavy battle axe was hefted onto his shoulder.

Stoick took a breath, then smiled and approached his son. He clapped him on the shoulder. "Train hard," he nodded, giving him an encouraging shake. "And I'll be back. Probably."

Hiccup gulped and tried to give his father a determined smile. "And I'll be here." _Maybe_, he mentally added. "May Halone guide you."

Stoick released and gave a salute. Then he strode out the door.

Estelle watched from her spot for a moment, then turned back to Hiccup. "I'm to assist in the final preparations," she spoke, tilting her head in a kindly manner. "The raiding party will be fine, worry not. I'll see you tomorrow in the training grounds."

Hiccup saluted her, though it felt halfhearted from his end. "Thanks Estelle. And um… sorry about the arm incident."

She blinked in surprise at him. Then she began laughing, though not out of spite.

"Accidents do happen, Hiccup," she replied. "You were an untrained whelp at the time, and you've learned your lesson. You are quite forgiven, as my arm works perfectly well. I believe you've experienced your own arm incident by this point, so consider that a little bit of retribution on my part if you're inclined to blame yourself for mine."

Hiccup looked down at his right arm, then back up at her.

She chuckled and saluted back. "Take care Hiccup. I shall see you in the morning."

Then she too was gone.

Hiccup took a moment to process everything, then sat alone with his stew and gazed at the space where his father had just been. He would be by himself for some time. It wasn't the first raid his father had been on, nor would it be the last if the stubborn chief had anything to say about it. It just bothered Hiccup that his job as a marauder meant that he purposely drew any attacking monsters towards him to protect the others of the party. Dravanians were terrifying. There would be more of those aevis'. More of the heretics.

There was of course, the entire heretic aspect too.

_Were any of them like me? Freed a dragon, got gradually more and more bewitched, finally had to flee because they were found out or they couldn't stand killing Dravanians anymore or… something? I haven't gone that far. I can do this. Dragoon training. Dragoon training._

"Dragoon training," he murmured to himself.

_Wonder what that Night Fury thinks of me. Maybe it's part of the heretic group Dad's going after. Who knows… I don't wanna know…_

He violently bit down more stew in an attempt to stop thinking about it. He could always plan ways to improve on that bola ice cannon instead.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, so after a lot of reading and checking the lore forums, my thoughts on everything involve how Ishgard has entire forces made up of dragoons, and how all Eorzeans have an innate ability to use aether since the land is so ridiculously steeped in it (and aether seems to be the magical phlebotinum element in this world). Because we have both mana and technical points, and we all know of certain things that DoW can do that's impossible based off of our understanding of modern physics, my interpretation here was that either way, the character is utilizing aether, just in different ways. So, the dragoon Jump is just on the technical side of it and whatever else is involved. (What the heck do we call that? Mana for Mana Points... Technical points? Technica?)

This brings me over to the dragoons - in Ishgard, their entire primary front fighting force is made up of dragoons, who use the Jump ability to attack dragons from the sky. Ingame mechanics have it such that you must equip a soul stone - and often times, there's only one, or only very few of them in existence. This follows with many of the jobs in the game. Some people on the lore forums theorized that the soul stone just contains all the memories and experiences of past users, so these are passed down and learned the moment the soul stone is equipped. However, we have all these dragoons! So my interpretation here is that they don't have a soul stone to teach them. They have to devote years of their life to this instead.

Also, regarding dragoons, ingame the soul stone goes to one single person: the player character, who is the Chosen One aka the latest Azure Dragoon. The soul stone is more like a cheat that lets the Warrior of Light gain those abilities without the years of training. What's happening in this story is the years of training. That's my take on it.


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